Apparatus for holding rotary drilling power units in a well against rotation



Aug. 9, 1932. 7 v T. G. TAYLOR 1,870,697

APPARATUS FOR HOLDING ROTARY DRILLING POWER UNITS IN A WELL AGAINST ATIQN Filed Dec. 6, l9

Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS G. TAYLOR, OF ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO APPARATUS FOR HOLDING ROTARY DRILLING POWER-UNITS IN A WELL'AGAINBT ROTATION Application filed December 6, 1930. Serial No. 500,588.

My invention relates to im rovement in apparatus for holding rotary rilling power units in a well against rotation.

The objects of my invention are to provide new, practical and useful improvements in well drilling devices which will be cheap in construction and economical in operation and designed particularly for use with drilling tools of the type which have the usual drill stem, jars, rotary self cooling, drilling and coring bit such as shown in my copendin application Serial No. 378,595, filed July 16, 1929, for self cooling and drilling bit, and of the type which are lowered into the well by a wire rope, or cable instead of drill pipe.

A further object is to provide means for holding a power unit which is used for rotating the drilling bit from itself rotating and yet which will permit the drilling tools to descend into the well as the hole is deepened.

A still further object is to provide imrovements of the kind described which will he durable and efficient in operation in carrying out the objects and purpose for which they are intended.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear, my invention consists in the construction, novel features, and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claims hereto appended and illustrated in the accompanying one sheet drawing, of which, Figure l is an elevational view of apparatus for drilling with power applied adjacent to the bottom of the well; Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the holding means covered by this application; Figure 3 is an elevational view of a motor housing and drill bit; Figure 4 is a sectional view along the lines 4-4. of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a sectional view along the lines 5-5 of Figure 1.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

It is understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, shape, weight and other details of construction, within the scope of my invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or broad principle of my invention and without sacrificing any of the advantages thereof; and it is also understood that the drawing is to be interpreted as being illustrative and not restricive.

One embodiment of my device is shown as follows: The tools and motor of the device for drilling with power applied at the bottom of the hole are supported on the wire rope or cable which is secured to eye-box 2, ta er tool o nted to drilling stem 3, said stem eing ointed to jar 4. In addition to using cable 1 as a sustainin wire rope, or cable, I provide electrical con uctors embedded in insulated material which replace the customar hemp center. From the oint where such electrical conductors reac the end of the cable adjacent eye-box 2 they may be car ried to the motor in the motor housing 6 by any adequate usual method.

I provide a section of drilling stem, or a drilling member 5, disposed between jar 4: and motor-housing 6 by which the motorhousing and co-operative parts can be anchored to the inside of the mudded-up well hole while the well is being drilled, thus holding the motor stationary and allowing it to drive the drill bit 7. Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 as shown in Figures 1 and 3, are not claimed as new.

In the parts which I will now describe, lie the novelty and improvements of my invention. My drilling member consists of a drill ing member stock 8 in the top of which is a cylindrical cavity or piston chamber 9 with machined sides as is usual in piston chamber construction. Into the bottom end of said stock 8 is formed the female connection 10 of a taper tool joint. From the bottom of said piston chamber 9 and extending vertically through said stock 8 to a shoulder 11 above said taper tool joint 10 is channel 12 better seen in Figures 4. and 5. The stock 8 has a cylinder in its upper end in which operates a piston 14 on a piston rod 13. The bottom end of piston rod 13 is attached in any usual manner to piston 14, the latter having a plurality of piston rings 15. Said piston chamber 9 is closed at the upper end by a threaded 100 ;tion of stock 8 as shown in "said cover 16 throu h which the piston rod operates. Along t e sides of said stock 8 are formed at intervals lugs 17 with one hole in each as at 18. At the intervals where lugs 17 are formed upon the sides of said stock 8, stock 8..has formed into a lateral hole or piston compartment 19, which isconnected with channel 12 by slot or channel 34, as is shown in Figure 5. Into lateral piston compartment 19 is positioned a plurality of lateral pistons 20 and 21 each respectively having a plurality of piston rings 22 and 23 and each respectively aving cug leathers 24 and 25. Lateral pistons 20 an 21 are respectively fastened to connectin rods 26 and 27 by wrist pins 28 and 29. onnecting rods 26 and 27 are respectively connected to longitudinal hinged wlngs 30 and 31 by pins 32 and 33. Between the intervals on stock 8 where lugs ;17 occur, the exterior of stock 8 is of c lindrical form as shown in Figure 4. The interior surface of hinged wings 30 and 31 at the intervals where lugs 17 do not occur on stock 8 are formed to fit around the cylindrical por- Figure 4. Be tween said intervals said wings 30 and 31 are formed with a plurality of holes extending through each longitudinally as at 35 and 36, and have formed into each of them laterally a cylindrical cavity 37 and 38. Into cavities 37 and 38 and extending into both of them is placed tension or retrieving springs 39 the. ends of which passthrough holes providedrtherefore as at 40 and 41 and are threaded to receive nuts 42. The interior surface of said wings 30-and 31 at the intervals where lugs 17 occur on stock 8 are formed as shown in Figure 5 and made to pass longitudinally .by and fit closely against stock 8. The exterior sides of Wings 30 and 31 are formed their entire length with dove-tailed mortises or slots 43. Into said slots 43 are dove-tailed by tenons thereof a plurality of holding members 44 and 45 which have their outer edges in the form of serrated teeth 46, for holding said wings 30 and 31 and in turn said drilling stock 8 from turning or revolving in the well hole. Extending longitudinally through holes 18 in lugs 17 and through holes 35 and 36 in wings 430 and 31 respectively, are hinge pins 47 and In operation: cylinder or piston chamber 9 is filled or partially filled with oil or other suitable liquid. It will be seen that when the entire string of tools 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are joined and lowered to the bottom of a well, the weight of tools 1, 2, 3, and 4 (better seen in Figure 1), will press downwardly upon piston rod 13 and piston 14, and thereby exert force on the hydraulic liquid in piston chamber 9. The liquid is forced through channels 12 and 34 into piston compartments 1 9.- The'force exerted upon said liquid forces lateral pistons 20 and 21 to move outwardly in lateral piston compartment 19 and through the agency of connecting rods 26 and 27 in turn force hm ed wings 30 and 31 outwardly. When sai Wings 30 and 31 move outwardly they force serrated holding members 44 and 45 against the opposite walls of the well hole. It will be seen that while holding members 44 and 45 are held by the pressure being exerted upon them, rigidly against the opposite sides of well hole that all of the remainder of drilling member 5 may move in a vertical direction by reason of slots 43 and at the same time not be able to revolve. This enables drill bit 7 and all of the other parts of the string of tools to travel in a downward direction as the hole is drilled.

It will also be seen that the string of tools may be readily be pulled up when desired. The pressure on piston rod 13 is relieved b pulling upwardly on rope 1. This immediately relieves the pressure of holdin members 44 and 45 against the sides of t e well hole. As soon as the pressure against the side walls of the well hole is relieved, compression or retrieving spring 39 closes wings 30 and 31 against the sides of drilling member stock 8. Said retrieving sprin 39 is of such tension that it is strong enough to-close wings 30 and 31 against the exterior of stock member 8, but is not strong enough to overy come the outward pressure which the weight of drilling members 1, 2, 3 and 4 exert upon said wings through the hydraulic means.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described herein, and applicable for uses and purposes other than as detailed, and I therefore consider as my own all such modifications and adaptations and other uses of the form of the device herein described as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device of the kind described comprising a set of well drilling tools including a drilling bit and a motor for rotating it, means for holding the tools except the bit from rotating in the well comprising jaws pivotally attached to the set of tools, fluid pressure means for moving said jaws to position in engagement with the walls of the Well and means for utilizing the weight of a portion of the set of tools for supplying the pressure.

2. A device of the kind described comprising a set of well drilling tools including a rotary drilling bit and means for rotating it, means for holding the remainder of the tools from rotating, comprising jaws movable to engage t e galls of the well, pressure fluid means for 0v ng said jaws to gripping position against the walls, means for transmitting a portion of the weight of the tools to supply the said pressure, the said set of tools being movable axially of the said jaws.

3. A device of the kind described comprising a set of well drilling tools including a rotary drilling bit and a motor for rotating it, of means for holding the remainder of the set of tools from rotating, comprising jaws pivotally attached to one member of the set of tools, a pair of cylinders, pistons in said cylinders, means connecting said pistons with said jaws, pressure fluid means for operating said pistons, said pressure means being operated by the weight of a portion of the said set of tools.

4. In a set of well drilling tools, a stationary member, a rotatable member, means on the stationary member engageable with the walls of the well to hold it against rotation, said means being operated by a chamber in said stationary member having a body of fluid therein, means for transmitting pressure to said fluid, said pressure being developed by the weight of a portion of the drilling tools.

5. A device according to claim 4 having resilient means for releasing said wall engaging means when pressure is released from said fluid.

THOMAS G. TAYLOR. 

